I was telling Caroline this Sunday about the technique we have cultivated over time with taking my sister's family back to the airport, and this time wasn't much different, except these days you cannot go to the gate.
I almost think that's an improvement.
The technique is about to be patented and it's called "Rip the Band- Aid".
The finer points of this are obvious.
You make it quick and then the searing pain of good-bye is over with, if the sting lingers.
Anyhow.
I will post a few pictures. We got thru it all and I know that there were a lot of you praying over this process and I can tell you that we felt it. God gave us grace. Thank you so much for all the kind emails, texts and voice mails. I know I did not reply to all but thanks. I meant to!
C. had an especially tough day as she wasn't feeling at all well and once we left the airport I actually had to get her from school and take her to the doctor herself and happily she is much better today.
The morning started with everyone exhausted. I actually had only told C that the plan was that the kids were all going to school and only B and I would take Z. Last time it was "hurry up and wait" and we just weren't sure how long it would take. So we said our goodbyes at home. I am not sure J2 realized it, in the pictures he will later be somewhat embarassed I suspect, at his silly faces.... but maybe it was his coping mechanism. I cannot post the last picture of all our kids together because the pain in their faces is so obvious. Just imagine it. Every time I look at those pictures, I tear up. And since this blog is s'posed to be mostly funny and encouraging we will skip that.
So we got to the airport and we actually got checked in, the plane didn't have to be changed and there was none of the last minute craziness we had last time thankfully, so we actually had time to mingle and hear some stories. I don't know if I was getting a false picture but it seemed like quite a few of the kids had found matches, whether with the family they originally were hosted by, with another family that met them, or even one child who's family hosted just to "host" but in posting the story on social media (I cannot name that site!), something good came of it and he was matched. There were a few kids who were here in summer and had not been matched but had great experiences and quite a few of the older teen girls were matched. So all in all, it seemed like the Lord really had some big plans this trip.
Again, if you have EVER felt God's calling or any kind of desire to adopt, don't give up because of ANYthing.... I wish I could post all the things we heard that God has done- moving mountains and writing stories only He could write. Truly. All we really have to do is get out of His way, and we are trying to learn that. I am a slow student.
Anyhow, Z took over the camera and took some photos for us (he seems to really like being behind the camera) and also the other fun thing that happened was that 3 of the boys from his school found him almost immediately and were hugging and high- fiving him and comparing notes and toys. Very cute. The older one spoke English quite a bit and looked at B and said (of Z) "he's my brother!". Z looked sideways at B with one of his looks and shook his head as if to say, "yeah, not so much" but you could tell he still cared for his friend. Happily the friend found a family too while here. That's them, in the below photo.
Our new friend "I---" and girls from her school, 2 are matched!
Hugging "Papa" as he calls B.
Beautiful girls, both matched!
His favorite pout face.
Serious faces-- now about to head to Security.
Standing in line to show passports. (God bless the ONE, KIND WOMAN who worked in security and had a heart- the rest of them seem pretty miserable and one in particular couldn't stop fussing at all the sobbing parents to move back, move over, etc--- sigh.....I guess they see it every day.... but still....)
And off they went. As they wound thru the line to get to the lovely part where you take off your shoes, we all kept standing there waving and waving and waving some more until the last face.......was gone.
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